By MaryBeth Matzek | Photo by John Oates Photography
Viewing light displays during the winter holidays is a tradition for many individuals and families. Wisconsin is home to multiple outdoor light displays that capture the imagination and put people in the spirit to celebrate.
These light displays can be explored by foot, vehicles, bikes or wagons. Here’s a look at some of the best and brightest displays in Wisconsin.
Garden of Lights, Green Bay
The Garden of Lights presented by Wisconsin Public Service at the Green Bay Botanical Garden is not your traditional holiday light display. Instead of Santa-themed imagery, the displays feature nature and garden themes.
“The displays are so magical,” says Laura Nelson, president and CEO of Green Bay Botanical Garden. “We lost track of how many lights we use a few years ago when we got near a million.”
The outdoor walk takes visitors throughout the gardens. There is also a horse drawn wagon that goes through part of the displays and a golf cart is available for those with mobility issues.
Garden of Lights opens Nov. 28 and runs through Dec. 30. It’s open weekly from Thursdays through Sundays from 4:30 to 9 p.m. It’s suggested guests buy timed tickets in advance at gbbg.org/events/wps-garden-of-lights.
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival
Downtown Milwaukee will be aglow with over a half million lights during the annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival presented by Johnson Financial Group. Lights and holiday scenes are featured in Cathedral Square Park, Pere Marquette Park, Red Arrow Park and Zeidler Union Square.
The lights are on display Nov. 20 through Jan. 1.
Visitors can also hop on board the Jingle Bus for guided tours. Tours run Friday through Sunday in December. Advanced tickets are recommended.
Learn more: milwaukeedowntown.com/bid-events/milwaukee-holiday-lights-festival.
Fox Cities Festival of Lights, Appleton
What started out as an idea among friends has become the largest outdoor holiday lighting display in the Appleton area. The Fox Cities Festival of Lights began in 2019 when Shaun Forslund and others saw an opportunity to host lighted displays in a community park. The idea took off and for 2025, more than 200,000 Christmas lights will shine from more than a dozen of holiday displays at Darboy Community Park in Harrison/Appleton.
Some displays feature local landmarks, such as the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, while others have a more traditional holiday theme.
“The park is the perfect spot since there’s a lot of green space and a forested area people can walk through. We get a lot of positive comments each year and our attendance continues to grow.,” Forslund said.
About half of the displays are in the park’s giant field, which is surrounded by a sidewalk, allowing the event to be partially handicapped accessible. Santa is also on site until Christmas to hear children’s wish lists.
The event is open from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings starting after Thanksgiving running through the weekend before New Year’s Day. The Fox Cities Festival of Lights is also open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Visit fcfestivaloflights.org to learn more.
Appleton is also home to a new holiday light display. At Neuroscience Group Field, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers — the Brewers’ Class A affiliate — is hosting Timber Rattlers Holiday Lights.
The walk-through event will feature breathtaking light displays, a family train ride through the concourse and several more fun activities around the ballpark. The highlight is a synchronized display featuring more than a million lights and holiday music favorites.
The event runs from mid-November through Jan. 3. Visit milb.com/wisconsin/events/holiday-lights for the schedule and to buy tickets.
Holiday Fantasy in Lights, Madison
More than 50 displays light up the night at the Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park in Madison. Vehicles ride through the free event, which begins in mid-November and runs through Jan. 1. The event begins at dusk each day.
The Holiday Fantasy in Lights is organized by NECA and IBEW Local 159. The unions’ retirees, electricians and apprentices work at the park setting up all the displays. The free event was started as a way to use their skills to support and better the community.
Visit fantasyinlights.com for more details.
Henry Vilas Zoo Lights, Madison
If you prefer to walk through lighted holiday displays while in Madison, the Henry Vilas Zoo Lights is a great alternative. Participants entering the zoo after hours are welcomed by more than one million lights.
Zoo Lights is open Friday, Saturday and Sundays and select weeknights from Nov. 22 to Dec. 23. Tickets cost $12 and those under age 3 are free. Tickets include unlimited carousel rides and photos with Santa.
For more information or to buy tickets, visit henryvilaszoo.gov/home/lights/.
Lights in the Valley, Eau Claire
Lights in the Valley is in its second year at the Eau Claire Expo Center Grounds. Carloads of visitors experience the enchantment of the season as they drive through a world filled with twinkling lights and festive decorations.
The event runs 5 to 10 p.m. from after Thanksgiving to Jan. 1. There’s an entrance fee of $20 per vehicle and people are advised to buy tickets in advance. For tickets or more information, visit lightsinthevalley.com.
Oshkosh Celebration of Lights
A drive-thru holiday extravaganza, the Oshkosh Celebration goes through part of the EAA grounds decorated with millions of lights. The 1.2-mile event features 750,000 twinkling lights, a 100-foot-tall tree, 120 trees filled with lights and animated light displays. There’s also wagon rides and visits with Santa at the EAA Air Academy Lodge.
The display runs nightly from 5:30 to 9 p.m. It opens the Friday after Thanksgiving and runs through New Year’s Eve. Learn more at oshkoshcol.org.
Rotary Lights, La Crosse
Riverside Park turns into a winter wonderland with Rotary Lights, an annual light display featuring more than 3 million lights. Whether driving, walking or taking a carriage ride, people enjoy a wide range of holiday light displays, including decorated trees, animated light displays and sculpted plastic light displays.
The free event runs Nov. 28 through Dec. 31 with the gates open from 5 to 10 p.m. Santa is in the park every night until Dec. 23. Other features include a live nativity, carriage rides, hayrides and free s’mores.
Visit rotarylights.org for more information.
Country Christmas, Pewaukee
Billing itself as the largest holiday light display in Wisconsin, Country Christmas is a multi-faceted event featuring not only twinkling holiday lights along the Country Christmas Trail but also Village Park and entrance to two buildings, Christmas Village and The Streets of Bethlehem.
The event starts with more than a million holiday lights along the Country Christmas Trail, including a 200-foot tunnel decorated with 30,000 customized lights. The Christmas Village features a working train model display, a Department 56 display, a cast of cuddly creatures and a post office where kids can write to Santa. Village Park features a 42-foot-tall Christmas tree and additional displays while The Streets of Bethlehem featuring nearly life-sized Fontanini nativity figures.
The event runs from Nov. 14 to Jan. 3. Depending on the day, visitors can drive, walk, take a wagon or bike their way along the Country Christmas Trail. Admission costs vary depending on the activity. For schedule details or ticket ordering, visit thecountrychristmas.com.
Rotary Botanical Gardens Holiday Light Show, Janesville
You’ll be welcomed by more than 1.5 million dazzling lights when you step into the Rotary Botanical Gardens for its annual holiday light show. The event features a walking path through the gardens with custom lighting effects, a pond with reflections and a North Pole area featuring Santa.
The show is open from Nov. 27 to Jan. 23. A Christmas Market featuring local artisans is new this year and will be open from Dec. 13-23. Visitors should purchase timed-entry tickets in advance at events.wiscotix.com/e/holiday-light-show.
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